The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology has threatened to escalate the absence of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, from a public hearing on a proposed National Research and Innovation Development Fund to the floor of the House, accusing the ministry of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s research funding initiative.
The committee expressed displeasure over the minister’s failure to honour its invitation to the hearing on the proposed National Research and Innovation Development Fund Bill (HB 2821), despite the ministry being directly responsible for the subject matter.
It also faulted the ministry for failing to send the Permanent Secretary or any representative, describing the development as unacceptable, particularly as the bill was an executive-sponsored proposal transmitted to the National Assembly by President Tinubu.
Speaking at the public hearing, a committee member representing Chibok, Damboa and Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State, Hon. Ahmed Usman Jaha, described the ministry’s absence as an act of sabotage against the cordial working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.
Jaha, who spoke on behalf of the committee, said it was difficult to understand why a ministry directly responsible for an executive-sponsored bill of national importance would fail to participate in its consideration.
He warned that the ministry’s attitude could delay the passage of the legislation and undermine the President’s efforts to establish a sustainable funding framework capable of attracting research grants from international development partners, donor agencies, UN agencies and Nigerians in the diaspora.
“Unfortunately, some members of the executive are by extension sabotaging this relationship. The reason why I call it sabotage is that I see no reason whereby the executive can present a bill to the House for consideration, and that bill has national importance, but the ministry responsible for it will not show up,” he said.
Jaha disclosed that the committee had invited the Ministers of Justice, Innovation, Science and Technology, Education, Environment, Agriculture and Food Security, Health, Livestock Development, and Industry, Trade and Investment, among other stakeholders, to contribute to the legislative process.
However, none of the invited ministers attended the hearing.
He said the committee was particularly concerned about the absence of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, insisting that either the minister or the Permanent Secretary should have appeared before the lawmakers.
“We are not averse to the Ministry of Justice and other ministries that are not directly linked to the bill. But our concern this time around is the Ministry of Science and Technology,” he said.
The lawmaker further expressed concern that an international stakeholder who travelled from Kenya honoured the committee’s invitation, while the ministry directly responsible for the proposed Fund failed to attend.
He cited the African Technology Policy Studies Network, whose representative reportedly informed the committee that several African countries had established national research and innovation funds, while Nigeria was yet to put a similar framework in place despite its enormous potential.
Jaha said the committee had given the minister and the Permanent Secretary another opportunity to appear before the conclusion of the public hearing, warning that their continued absence would compel it to move a motion of urgent public importance at the next sitting of the House.
“With this attitude, they will end up delaying the bill. Maybe Mr President is trying to expedite the process of establishing this agency so that Nigeria can benefit from research grants from donor agencies, the diaspora, international communities, UN agencies and international non-governmental organisations willing to fund research,” he said.
He maintained that the hearing was an opportunity for the minister to raise objections, identify problematic provisions or propose amendments rather than remain absent from the legislative process.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Zakariya Tijjani Zannah, called for sustainable financing, transparent governance and an independent grant allocation process for the proposed Fund.
Zannah said Nigeria had the intellectual capacity and research talent to drive innovation but lacked a dependable legal and institutional framework to finance research, coordinate activities and translate scientific discoveries into commercially viable products.
“No nation has grown its economy or secured its food and health without sustained investment in research and innovation. Nigeria has the talent; what we lack is a dependable legal and institutional framework to fund, coordinate and carry research from the laboratory to the marketplace,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to scrutinise the proposed governance structure of the National Council and the management of the Fund, including the responsibilities of its leadership, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, General Managers, General Counsel and Joint Ministerial Committee on budgets.
On financing, Zannah called for a critical examination of the proposed 20 per cent contribution from the Nigerian Content Development Fund under Section 19 of the bill, alongside government appropriations, grants and proceeds from commercialisation.
He also urged stakeholders to assess the proposed 2.5 per cent cap on administrative expenditure under Section 21, particularly its legal basis, adequacy and long-term sustainability.
The committee chairman further emphasised the need for competitive and peer-reviewed grant allocation under Section 34, alongside adequate intellectual property protection and commercialisation provisions under Section 37.
Declaring the hearing open, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the Deputy House Leader, Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, described the proposed legislation as critical to Nigeria’s economic development and competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy.
Tajudeen said Nigeria had considerable intellectual and creative capacity across its universities, research institutions, professional communities, entrepreneurs and diaspora but had failed to effectively connect these resources to the productive needs of the economy.
“The challenge, therefore, is not simply to produce more research, but to build an ecosystem that connects research to funding, innovation to investment, and discoveries to industry. This is the institutional gap that the Bill seeks to address,” he said.
The Speaker said the proposed National Research and Innovation Development Fund and National Council on Research and Innovation, to be chaired by the Vice President, would provide an institutional framework for coordinating national research priorities, ensuring sustainable financing and promoting the commercialisation of research outcomes.
He, however, warned against political interference and arbitrary decisions in the allocation of research grants, insisting that funding must be based on merit, scientific relevance and demonstrable potential.
Recalling previous legislative efforts to establish a national research and innovation framework that failed to culminate in enactment, Tajudeen said the 10th House had an opportunity to resolve outstanding governance and financing concerns and bring the initiative to fruition.
He charged the committee to ensure a thorough and transparent legislative process, urging stakeholders to make specific, evidence-based submissions on governance, funding, grant administration, intellectual property, commercialisation and accountability.
Tajudeen maintained that Nigeria must move beyond dependence on imported solutions and build institutions capable of turning local ideas into industries, employment opportunities and national prosperity.
“This is not merely a scientific imperative; it is a question of economic independence and national competitiveness,” he said.
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